Winning bet: The Brook brings in NFL fans from NH, Mass., Maine

SEABROOK – There were a good number of people waiting outside when The Brook opened its doors at 11 a.m. on a historic Sunday for sports gambling in the state of New Hampshire.

The parking lot had an abundance of license plates from Massachusetts and Maine, as well as cars from its home state of New Hampshire.

Some people flocked to The Brook to watch Cam Newton make his debut with the six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, while others came to see how Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski would fare in their first game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

They all came to share some food and beverages with friends, but more importantly they came to throw a few dollars down and place a bet.

“New Hampshire is the place to be right now,” said Jim Goggin, who made the 35-minute trip to The Brook with a couple of friends from his home in Saugus, Massachusetts. “This is a pretty cool place to be. It’s a great set-up, they have everything. This could be a weekly thing for us. I have a nice set-up at my house, but this is great. We like it here.”

Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill into law in June 2019, legalizing and regulating sports betting in New Hampshire. It is still not legal to wager on sports in Massachussetts and Maine. The Brook is located right over the Massachusetts border, and is less than 20 miles from Maine.

Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, said the state brought in $2.3 million in bets on Sunday.

“There was quite a bit of action at DraftKings Sportsbook at The Brook with the NFL season kicking off, and particularly with the Patriots playing their first game with Cam Newton at quarterback—and with Tom Brady playing his first game for the Buccaneers,” McIntyre said. "It was certainly a great day for sports fans across New England with the Patriots victorious in their first game.“

Nevada-based Eureka Casino Resorts purchased Seabrook Park in 2019, and has done a multi-million-dollar renovation over the last year.

“The reaction (from Sunday) was good,” Eureka Casino Resorts Chief Operating Officer Andre Carrier said. “We learned a lot from Week 1, and I am sure we’ll be that much better for Week 2. All in all, a fun day at The Brook.”

Of that $2.3 million wagered on sports in New Hampshire on Sunday, McIntyre said, The Brook totaled $227,000.

The Brook, the South Side Tavern in Manchester, which opened on Sept. 3, are the only physical sportsbook locations in New Hampshire to date. The DraftKings mobile app is the only other way to wager on sports legally in New Hampshire.

The Brook has brought in $1.37 million in sports wagers since opening on Aug. 12.

“I think handle-wise (Sunday) was good,” Carrier said. “I mean this sincerely; I think it’s just the beginning; awareness is still fairly low. I am very thankful for the crowd that we got. I am more than happy with the crowd that we had, and thankful for those people who came out. I know some people came over, made their wagers and went home, and some people stuck around and used the stadium in the way it was meant to be used. I hope more people discover the fun that can be had from sticking around.”

McIntyre said Sunday brought in $500,000 more in wagers than Super Bowl Sunday back in February, when the Kansas City Chiefs played the San Francisco 49ers.

“I was thrilled to hear that (a lot of the) crowd at The Brook was from Maine and Massachusetts,” McIntyre said. “I always say, out-of-state-money is the best kind of money.”

The Brook offers stadium seating with couches and recliners, plus three oversize cinema screens, as well as hundreds of individual TVs.

“This place definitely has a Vegas feel to it,” Goggin said. “I’ve been to many of the major sports books in Vegas, and this is definitely comparable.”

Shawn Harnish came up from his home in Lawrence, Massachusetts, with three of his friends. The four were seated at one of the handful of couches that are offered; each couch has five individual TVs in front that are controlled by those at the couch.

“The atmosphere here is great,” Harnish said. “There is no sportsbook in Vegas where you have five TVs to yourself; you have your own little living room and still have the (sportsbook) atmosphere.”

Ryan Fulti of Peabody, Massachusetts, watched college football at The Brook on Saturday, and returned Sunday for the NFL games.

“It’s great here, we need something like this in Massachusetts,” Fulti said. “It’s like an adult Disney World, what more can you ask for? I am not a heavy bettor, but it does make the game a little more interesting.”

Fulti’s “lock of the day” was the Chicago Bears in their game against the Detroit Lions.

“They (the Bears) were down 14, but they came back,” he said. “I was a little worried.”

Jonathan Rennick, also of Peabody, has been to The Brook a few times.

“I am only 20 minutes away, even if sports betting opened up in Massachusetts, it probably wouldn’t be more convenient than this place,” Rennick said. “We’ve been up a few times since they remodeled it. It’s unbelievable, it’s the best.”

Deb Levesque of Saugus, came with Goggin and fellow friend Paul Cambria. They, like Harnish’s group, watched the Patriots game and part of the Buccaneers-Saints game from their private couch.

“I am having a great time, it’s a great set-up here,” she said. “I can’t wait to watch Brady play. I am a Patriots fan, but I still am a Brady fan. I want both of them to win, and I want to watch both; so that’s why I came here. There are so many TVs, and you can watch all the games.”

The South Side Tavern in Manchester became New Hampshire’s second DraftKings Sportsbook location on Sept. 3.

“We are doing exactly what Governor Sununu asked — bringing top-tier entertainment to sports fans throughout the region,” McIntyre said.